Amid growing controversy over CBSE's on-screen marking (OSM) system, examination technology provider Coempt Edu Teck has defended its platform, asserting that recent complaints involving answer-sheet access arose from human errors during the scanning process and not from any flaw in the software used for digital evaluation.
The issue gained attention after several students who applied for copies of their evaluated answer sheets reported discrepancies. In one case that drew particular scrutiny, a student allegedly received another candidate's answer sheet. Questions were also raised about the quality of scanned answer books made available to students, with some claiming that portions of the copies were blurred or difficult to read.
Responding to the criticism, Coempt said an internal review found that the problem stemmed from mistakes during the physical scanning of answer books rather than any malfunction in the digital evaluation system itself.
"The issue occurred at the scanning stage and was not related to the on-screen marking platform," the company said, adding that the software used for evaluation had functioned as intended.
The controversy comes at a time when board examinations across the country increasingly rely on digital technologies to process and evaluate millions of answer scripts. While such systems have helped reduce evaluation timelines and improve standardisation, concerns over transparency and accuracy can quickly attract attention because of the high stakes involved for students.
Coempt said that nearly 95 per cent of students who sought copies of their answer sheets had already received them and that complaints relating to image quality were being reviewed in coordination with the relevant authorities.
The company also rejected allegations that inferior hardware had been used to digitise answer books. It maintained that the scanners deployed for examination work meet industry standards and are upgraded periodically to handle large volumes of answer scripts.
According to the company, it currently provides end-to-end examination services to more than 35 universities and educational institutions across India and processes close to two crore answer booklets every year. It said its evaluation infrastructure remains secure and reliable despite the recent allegations.
In a communication sent to clients, including educational boards and institutions, Coempt sought to reassure stakeholders that its operations remain unaffected by the controversy. The company described itself as a compliant and established examination technology provider with more than two decades of experience in the sector.
It said it continued to follow prescribed standards, including cybersecurity and quality-certification requirements, while investing in in-house research and development for scanning, evaluation and examination-management technologies.
The company also addressed what it described as resurfacing allegations linked to a 2019 matter. It said the issue had been examined by courts and that the company had been cleared of wrongdoing, with the findings upheld up to the Supreme Court. Coempt further stated that it had never been blacklisted by any board, university or government authority and described suggestions to the contrary as inaccurate. The firm said these were matters of public record and invited stakeholders to verify the relevant documents independently.
"We are writing to you directly, as a valued client, in a spirit of transparency," the company said in the communication, adding that some remarks circulating in the public domain were based on incomplete or inaccurate information and did not affect its ability to continue serving educational institutions.
